Mmmmmm I am not so sure big K that this is quite the positional debate or argument that maybe your post seems to paint it as, though I do appreciate that if one feels someone is having a pop at ones country, whether correctly or incorrectly construed it can result in divisional positioning maybe, it is a free world in the main so feel free to comment.

I have taken from daymantis posts that she is indeed not anti American, or seeking to advocate a defined or better alternative, far from it, the crux of her case I have take to be that America is indeed a great country with many good points and attributes not least of which is the good and upstanding morally right majority.

However this majority seems powerless or rather muted in the face of the total and contrived power of the neo conservatives who seem hell bent on using or rather employing the role of the US as the worlds police man and moral guardians as a smokescreen whilst they follow their own self serving agendas and policies.

I am not anti American, not at all, I do however cringe when I read and hear some of the rhetoric being spouted by your leaders, the religious element of the war on terror is very frightening, and plays into the hands of those on the opposite end of the Muslim far right extremists scales hands, they would love to paint their struggle as that of the righteous Muslims defending their rights and homelands from the marauding and invading infidels, I think that such comments and rhetoric are possibly the best recruiting propaganda that the extremists could ever hope for. Any statement linking god of what ever denomination or belief to that of armed aggression or conflict is very, very dangerous and self serving, religion has historically been the morphine of the masses used by leaders to keep their citizens in line throughout the ages.

Europe is not perfect, not by any stretch of the imagination; but I do feel that we as citizens are closer to the running of and direction that our countries take, not as close as we should be of course or there would not be any of our boys shedding their blood in the name of who knows what in distant sandy lands. We are however more vocal and able to influence our leaders policies.

America has traditionally been the land of the free, yet of late to us Europeans you seem to be strangely quiet and subservient to the whims and wishes of your leaders, I feel that this was the crux of daymantis post, and given her ability to state her opinions so forthrightly I am sure she will correct me if I am wrong anyway.

I feel that if as a nation America is to be the world’s policeman then I want to see a lot more democratic control of its actions and intent; because at the moment, me as an individual, I am not comfortable with how the American government (not people) is using its power and position.

There seems to be from the outside looking at any rate little will and interest from those able to do so in America to address this either, this concerns me deeply.